Machine for drying cinematographic films and the like.



I. MARETTE.

MACHINE FOR DRYING CINEMATOGRAPHIC FILMS AND THE LIKE.

APPLICATION FILED MAY I9, 1914.

Patented Aug. 17, 1915.

2 SHEETS-SI*IEET I.

J. MARETTE.

MACHINE FOR DRYING CINEMATOGRAPHIC FILMS AND THE LIKE.

APPL-ICATION HLED MAY 19. 1914.

1 1 50,609. Patented Aug. 17, 1915.

2 SHEETSSHEET 2.

wfwa g qr Ji man snares ea JACQUES MARET'IE, or VINCENNES, FRANCE,nssrnoa TO COMTPAGNIE eEnE'RALE DES ETABLISSEMENTS PATHE FRERES,PHONOGRAFHE ET GINEMATOGRAPHE, or

PARIS, FRANCE.

MACHINE FOR DRYING CINEMATOGRAPHIC FILMS AND THE LIKE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Aug. 17, 19115.

Application filed May 19, 1914. Serial No. 839,506. I

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, JACQUES MARET'I'E,residing.

citizen of the Republic of France, at 30 Rue des Vignerons, Vincennes,Seine, in the Republic of France, have invented new and usefulImprovements in Machines for Drying Cinematographic Films and the like,of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a machine intended for drying cinematographicfilms and the like that are fed from a roller in the form of a web andin a continuous manner.

The main feature of the invention consists in that the film is guided ina zig-zag manner on feed rollers or feeders arranged in the samevertical plane so as to facilitate the filling and control of themachine. The latter comprises several juxtaposed .compartments thatsuccessively communicate with each other alternatively at the top and atthe bottom so as to form a sinuous channel, through which an air currentis passed in one direction and the film to be dried in the oppositedirection. The film is forwarded by feed rollers or reels arranged atthe upper part of the compartments and the tension of the film issecured owing to the fact that the rollers arranged in the loops of thefilm at the lower part of said loops are mounted in each compartment ona movable lever arranged on a pivot for said lever being of a suitableweigh In the accompanying drawings shown by way of example: Figure 1 isa longitudinal section of a drying machine constructed according to theinvention. Fig. 2 is a cross section of. said machine. Fi 3 is ahorizontal section of the same. igs. 4 and 5 are a side elevation andplan of details of one of the clutches and change speed gearings thatform part of the mechanism for controlling the rollers.

The machine shown by way of example is intended to dry two films at thesame time and is divided into two parallel longitudinal chambers each ofwhich receives a film. Each chamber comprises several compartments 1, 2,3, 4, 5, 6, that successively communicate with each other alternately atthe top and at the bottom, so that the series of compartments forms asinuous channel through which an air current is passed in instance. 1

the direction of the arrows. This current of air can be produced by aventilator 7 and may be passed through a radiator 8 intended to heat theair to the extent required. A filter for keeping back the dust may ifnecessary be combined with this radiator. The compartments arepreferably provided with glass doors.

The moist film 9 to be dried is guided in a Zig-zag manner on a seriesof upper rollers 10 and on a series of lower rollers 11. The upper feedrollers, that may be toothed or smooth are actuated so as to secure acontinuous unwinding of the film in an opposite direction to that of theair current, so that the film as it dries meets drier air, a methodicaldrying being obtained in this manner. The upper rollers or feeders 10can be actuated with the inter Vention of bevel wheels 12 (Fig. 5) by alongitudinalshaft such as 13, 13 which is driven in any suitable manner.The machine shown naturally comprises two shafts 13, 13" one for eachfilm. The lower rollers 11 are carried in each compartment by an arm orlever 14 on which they are adapted to rotate. This lever is pivoted at15 at one of'its ends and is guided vertically at its other end. Theweight of the rollers 11 and lever 14 mav be adjusted once for all forkeeping the various loops stretched that are formed by the film in eachcompartment.

A clutch and a change speed gearing are preferably arranged between twosuccessive compartments so as to be able to vary at will the speed ofrotation of the rollers 10 in the compartments. The duration of thetransition of the film in either of the compartments may thus be variedand the level of the lever that carries the lower rollers can beadjusted. The longitudinal shaft that drives the upper rollers is thenformed of several parts such as 18, 13. The device may, as shown inFigs. 4 and 5 comprise a pinion 17 that is loose on the first part 13 ofthe driving shaft, a second pinion 18 that is .keyed on part 13 and anintermediary shaft 19 having pinions 20, 21 that respectively engagewith pinions .17 and 18. In the example shown, the two pinions 17 and 20are equal and pinion 18 is smaller than pinion 21. On shaft 13 issplined a sleeve provided with teeth 22 that can be made to shaftll isactuated with the'intervention of pinions 20, 21 and 18 at a greaterspeed.

.It will readily be understood that the device described thus allows ofvery easily varying the duration of the transition of the film in anycompartment.

If desired each lever 14 may, when moved upward or downwardon its pivot,be made to meet a contact plug 25 com rised in an electric circuit 26,as shown iagrammatically in Fig. 1. This circuit is provided With a bell27 intended to announce the fact that the lever has attained itsuppermost or lowermost position.

- The film must be twisted half-way around between each upper roller andthe following lower roller, so as to prevent the gelatinized side whichis still moist from coming in contact with the surface of the rollers.

At the outlet of the machine a Winding friction drum 28 is providedforeach chamber that allows of forminga bobbin with the dry film. Awiping device 29 may be arranged at the point where the film isintroduced into the machine.

. Having now described my invention, what I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a machine for drying cinematographic films and the like, a chambercomprising a number of juxtaposed compartments communicatingsuccessively together alternatively at the top and at the bottom, crossshafts mounted in said compartments at one end, feeding rollers on saidcross shafts for the film, a longitudinal shaft, means for coupling thelongitudinal shaft and the cross shafts, means for actuating thelongitudinal shaft, pivoted levers at the other end of the compartments,guiding rollers on said pivoted levers for the film, means on thepivoted levers for stretching the film and means for producing an aircurrent passing successively through thecompartments in the opposltedirection to that of the film, substantially as described and forthepurpose set forth.

2. In a machine graphic films and the like, a chamber comprising anumber of juxtaposed compart; ments communicating successwely togetheralternatively at the top and at the bottom,

cross shafts mounted in said compartments at the top, feeding rollers onsaid cross shafts for the film, a longitudinal shaft,

made in sections, bevel gears coupling the longitudinal shaft sectionsand the cross shafts, means for actuating one end section of thelongitudinal shaft, clutches for operatively connecting the sections ofthe longitudinal shaft together, levers freely pivoted at the bottom ofthe compartments,

for drying cinematoguiding rollers on said pivoted levers for the film,and means for producing an air current passing successively through thecompartments in the opposite direction to that of the film,substantially as described and for the purpose set forth.

3. In a machine for drying cinematographic films and the like, a chambercomprising a number of juxtaposed compartments, communicatingsuccessively together alternatively at the top and at the bottom, crossshafts mounted inrsaid compartments at the top, feeding rollers ;on saidcross shafts for the film, a longitudinal shaft made in sections, bevelgears coupling the longitudinal shaft sections and the cross shafts,means for actuating one end section of the longitudinal shaft, clutchesand change speed gears for ope'ratively connecting the sections of thelongitudinal shaft together, levers freely pivoted at the bottom

